‘Moral Monday’ protesters express outrage about state policies

Published: Monday, October 21, 2013 at 08:17 PM.

The power of the movement is the people, he said, not any one organization like the NAACP.

“The movement is far from over,” Barber said

It’s not about hatred of government, but instead is about love, faith and character, he said.

“What we don’t like is extreme policies bullied through legislation,” Barber said. “…We don’t care about Democrats or Republicans. What we care about is — are you going to do right by the people in the state?. …We will not bow down to puny, temporary political powers.”

People of all races and ideologies gathered at Kafer Park in New Bern Monday evening during “Moral Monday” with one common passion: outrage over politics and policies coming out of Raleigh.

The Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, said Moral Mondays, which started in Raleigh this summer to protest actions of the Republican-controlled General Assembly and resulted in about 940 people being arrested for civil disobedience, were making a difference and making politicians in Raleigh nervous.

About 200 people attended Monday’s New Bern rally, shouting slogans such as: “We will win,” and “Stand up and fight back.” Some carried signs that stated: “Make America land of the free and the healthy,” “Don’t frack North Carolina,” and “Hitler was also a right winger…Don’t repeat history.”

“This is what some of them are afraid of,” Barber said. “They’d rather we be divided.”

But thousands of people of all races, faiths and economic and social backgrounds are coming together in North Carolina to make themselves heard, Barber said.

“We have gathered to raise the moral outrage,” he said.

The 940 people arrested at Moral Monday events in Raleigh refused to give up their constitutional rights, Barber said.

The power of the movement is the people, he said, not any one organization like the NAACP.

“The movement is far from over,” Barber said

It’s not about hatred of government, but instead is about love, faith and character, he said.

“What we don’t like is extreme policies bullied through legislation,” Barber said. “…We don’t care about Democrats or Republicans. What we care about is — are you going to do right by the people in the state?. …We will not bow down to puny, temporary political powers.”

Marshall Williams, Craven County NAACP president, said the Moral Monday rally was to motivate people “Down East,” an area often overlooked.

“The rally sets the word on regressive policies in government,” Williams said. “The policies of the past are starting to affect people.”

Some of those policies included reductions in unemployment benefits, cuts in education and refusal to expand health care coverage to the poor, Williams said.

If the state government had expanded Medicaid under the Obama plan, it would have saved lives, he said.

“We just hope to enlighten the people,” Williams said.

The Moral Monday rallies have the support of about 150 organizations, from labor and education supporters to health advocates and environmental groups, he said.

The rallies started in Raleigh, but are spreading to Georgia and Florida. One has been held in New York, he said.

Michael McLean Sr. of Knightdale was at the rally in his orange sweatshirt proclaiming he was arrested during the third Moral Monday rally in Raleigh for civil disobedience. He was in jail for about 6 hours before attorneys with the NAACP bailed him out, and now he attends all the Moral Monday rallies he can, he said.

“As a black male, I was aware of the issues and what was not right,” McLean said. “But this is unique for New Bern. There is such a diverse coming together.”

He said he hoped the movement would educate people on what is taking place in Raleigh and the “regressive policies that are hurting people.”

“North Carolina is known as a progressive state,” he said. “But in the past few years, it has turned 180 degrees the other way.”

Donna Shelton, a physician’s assistant, told the crowd the government has turned away from health care issues.

“It is hideous,” she said. “People are dying without health insurance.”

About 45,000 people a year die in the United States without health insurance, Shelton said.

“What would the government do if they were dying because of terrorists?” she said. “They would be all over that. Health care should be a human right. Health care is not just for people who have money.”

Thelma Curry of New Bern said she came to the rally to see if there was anything she could do to help change some of the things state legislators are doing with unemployment benefits, educational cuts and health care.

“I’m one of the people health care will affect,” Curry said. “If I don’t get it, I will be in trouble. I think by bringing attention to it that’s good.”

New Bern Alderman Victor Taylor was also at the rally, along with Alderman Bernard White and Alderman Dana Outlaw, who is running for mayor.

“I think this was very much needed,” Taylor said of the rally. “Moral Mondays will make the state stronger.”

Omisade Burnery-Scott, spoke on voting rights, calling North Carolina’s new voting law, which, among other things, requires voters to show photo identification, is the “monster law” that has re-enacted the Jim Crow-era law.

“It’s meant to keep you from voting,” she said. “We will not allow that.”

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.